Those Golden Days
by Sweetberry771
Summary: Take a walk into Joey Drew Studios in its golden days. It is not canon but rather a look at what transpired prior the game's events
1. A New Face

_'__Today'll be another borin' day..' _

That was one of the many things Wally Franks thought as he swept. He had just spent most of his morning on garbage rounds again because of Sammy's perfectionist nature. Now he had to sweep up the offices after Sammy had gone to complain to Joey about another minor inconvenience, leaving a mess of papers for the freckled janitor/handyman to deal with. Boy, that uptight music director really got on his nerves.

Allison Pendle had told the young man in the past that they were like chalk and cheese; Sammy was serious, strict and pessimistic while Wally was easygoing, kind and one of the friendliest guys anyone would meet. So it was natural that they would clash.

Wally's regular pranks didn't help remedy the issue, it only made Sammy despise him even more.

Allison was like a big sister to Wally; she always knew what to say. He'd often gone to her for advice or just to talk to when he was troubled. That's if she wasn't in the same room as Susie Campbell; they verbally sparred on a daily basis since Allison was slowly taking her place as the voice of Alice Angel - which Susie hated. She'd had been in her mid 30's when she got her big break as Alice.

Wally found it hard to get on with Susie; she had become a bitter, cynical version of what she once was when she first started voice-acting. She was the type of person who strived to be perfect, but her efforts were only in vain since she was nearing 40; soon she would be too old to play Alice. The only thing Susie couldn't disguise was her voice, which was starting to sound older and more mature. Although her arguments with Allison were hilarious, it was rather difficult to understand things from Susie's perspective.

Wally had often wondered whether Susie had some sort of medical condition that had gone undiagnosed but couldn't figure out what.

Thomas, a slightly older man who worked in the same department as Wally, often told the 20-something year old that he was wasting his potential. He firmly believed Wally was actually a lot smarter and a lot more skilled than he let his co-workers think he was; few people noticed that whatever new skill Wally tried, he was pretty good at it. So he tried countless times to enable Wally to put those hidden talents of his to good use. So far, no such luck.

Wally knew Thomas meant well but he had enough to do as it was.

_'__Some where beyond the sea,_

_Somewhere, waiting for me_

_My love, he stands on golden sands_

_And watches the ships_

_That go sailing..'_

Wally's thoughts were halted as he heard singing coming from down the hall. From its soprano pitch, he knew the voice belonged to a woman. She sounded too young to be Allison or Susie; Allison was an alto-soprano while Susie was just an alto. And as far as he knew, none of the other female employees sang.

So the brunette went to investigate who the mystery singer could be.

* * *

It didn't take long for Wally to find the source of the singing; it was a young woman around his age sitting patiently outside Joey Drew's office. Her blond hair was in soft curls tht framed her delicate facial features perfectly, bordered by a blue hairband. Her dress was blue with a yellow skirt. Unlike Susie, she wore little make-up. Around her neck was a simple necklace. It seemed she hadn't noticed him yet, her attention being on the script papers in her hands - she had to be a new voice actress. Like Susie and Allison.

Wally couldn't help but stare as he listened to the woman's lovely rendition of 'Beyond The Sea'; she was beautiful.

* * *

The young woman, Lucy soon got the feeling that someone was staring at her. Looking around, she noticed Wally. The way he looked at her with brilliant blue eyes, it was new. She couldn't recall anyone looking at her that way. It felt like there were millions of butterflies fluttering about in her stomach. _What a way to start your first day, huh Lucy? Say something!' _she thought.

Finding her composure, Lucy smiled kindly at Wally. "Oh, hi. I didn't know that someone was listening. I'm Lucy" she introduced herself, holding out a hand.

Having regained his usual friendly nature, Wally shook Lucy's hand; which was small and soft. "I'm Wally" he replied. He had noticed how Lucy's amber eyes lit up as she smiled; it was the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. "Ya new here?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's my first day actually…from today, I'll be voicing Doll the Flower Maiden" Lucy admitted.

Wally knew which character Lucy was talking about; the head animator, Henry & his wife Linda recently had a baby - a little girl. Henry had been inspired by his newborn daughter to create a character, Doll.

Susie had tried to pester Joey for the role but was told she was too old. Joey must've heard Lucy's audition reel and hired her.

_'__And from what I heard, he made the right call. Susie may have voiced an 'angel' but this gal's practically the real deal' _Wally mentally agreed.

Lucy then remembered the rumours she'd heard about Joey Drew prior to getting the job; despite his cartoon empire, he wasn't the easiest person to please and was quick to lose his temper if things didn't go according to his plan. Her smile faltered; what if none of her colleagues were as nice as Wally?

Lucy's concern didn't go unnoticed by Wally. She didn't know how terrible Joey could be to his employees or how harsh Sammy tended to be with new talent. It bothered him when someone wasn't smiling - after all, he believed that anyone who worked in cartoons should have a sense of humour. So he did what he usually did when things got tense; make them laugh. "Say, Lucy. What did the sea say to the shore?" He asked.

Lucy smiled a little. She knew Wally was about to tell her a joke; she loved jokes. "I don't know, what?" She questioned.

"Nothin'. It just waved" Wally answered. Lucy immediately started laughing, much to his delight. At least he knew she had a sense of humour; her laugh was like music - he could never get tired of hearing it, no matter how many times he heard it.

Even after she stopped laughing, Lucy couldn't wipe the smile off her face. The smile that was there because of Wally. Any unease she had initially felt was now gone. "Thank you, Wally" she thanked him softly.

Happy that he could ease the lovely blonde's distress, Wally tipped his cap. "Happy to help. If ya feel down or need to laugh, come find me" he offered. He was pretty good at making people laugh. With things as bleak as they were nowadays, it was important to find the good things in life - that included times when one needed to laugh.

"I'd like that" Lucy replied. It was sweet that Wally knew she needed cheering up. She knew that no matter what, she'd be ok as long as someone like him was there for her.

'_You'll know when you fall in love with the right one, Lucy. If he makes you laugh, he's a keeper' _Lucy's mother had once told her. And that's what Wally had done.

"Well, see ya around, Luce" Wally remarked with a final tip of his cap.

Lucy giggled at the new nickname, not minding it one bit. "See you around, Wally" she replied as she waved.

* * *

Wally was unable to stop grinning like an idiot as he went to carry on sweeping out the offices.

That Lucy was definitely something special. Not only was she a talented singer, she was sweet, funny and beautiful. Wally had never met anyone like her before. It would be nice having someone his own age around to talk to, he'd thought.

And that smile Lucy gave him when she saw him, it made Wally feel like time had stopped; he had found himself wanting the moment with the lovely blond to last longer. And the way she laughed at his joke, he wanted to hear it again.

Even in her prime, Susie hadn't been as lovely or sweet as Lucy.

The janitor/handyman knew one thing for sure; the people were definitely going to love Lucy. Almost as much as he already did - and he had literally just met the girl moments ago. "Holy cannoli, I think I'm in love" he realised. Good thing his best friend, Shawn (who worked in the toy department) didn't see him in such a state - he would tease Wally about this.

* * *

Lucy found that she couldn't stop smiling. "Well, what a great start to the day.." She said to herself. She had felt like time had stopped when she had locked eyes with Wally. She thought that only happened in the movies.

Sighing thoughtfully to herself, Lucy glanced back down to her script to resume reading through her lines. She had auditioned at the studio a few weeks ago on a whim; her father always said that she had the voice of an angel and that one day the world would know it.

Lucy hadn't expected for Joey to see her audition reel and decided she would be ideal to voice Doll. She thought it would take her at least a year to even achieve a supporting role - just like it had taken Susie a while to become well-known as Alice Angel. She had always wanted to meet Susie; she admired her dedication to voice-acting and resilience.

Lucy smiled wider as she thought of the endless possibilities that would unfurl just because of an audition reel she sang and read lines for. She thought of what her new co-workers would be like. And she thought of how Wally made her laugh. "I think I will like it here.." She mused.

* * *

Hello! You have read the first chapter of my Bendy & The Ink Machine story: Those Golden Days. This story is set prior the events of the game. I own nothing but the story, Doll & Lucy. Be aware, this is my story so please be considerate when commenting. Thank you and hope to see you in the chapter.


	2. Allison

When Allison Pendle made her way to the recording booth, she was looking forward to recording some lines.

The voice director, Gladys Shillings had suggested that it would be more beneficial if Allison would record some lines with the new voice actress, a young woman called Lucy Myles. She thought it was a good idea; it would help determine what kind of dynamic Alice and the new character, Doll would have onscreen.

It would be Susie's turn to record with Lucy tomorrow.

But Allison had a sinking feeling that Susie would not be so happy to share the limelight with Lucy, especially if Lucy was much prettier than she was.

From how flustered Wally had been after someone had asked him if he'd met the new voice actress yet, Allison knew he had taken a liking to her. The 20-something year old was like a younger brother to her; she knew him well enough that he treated her like an older sister. She didn't mind though; Thomas had always said she was very sisterly towards the younger employees. Chances were she would end up taking the new voice actress under her wing.

* * *

Hearing the familiar swing intro to Alice's song 'Angel of The Stage', Allison entered the recording studio to listen to Lucy's alternative rendition as Doll. She watched with a smile as Lucy came to life, dancing as she sang.

(A/N: The song is 'Angel of The Stage', originally written/performed by TryHardNinja with vocals by Nina Zeitlin. I merely altered some of the lyrics to better suit Lucy's character, Doll - who is a supporting lady whereas Alice thinks of herself as a 'leading lady'. Also, the idea that Allison watches Lucy's first official performance is inspired by a Tiktok video with my friend, winterreynacosplay who is an amazing Allison Pendle cosplayer.)

_Lucy: I love you all but sometimes you boys are just too much _

_Been gone too long and this place could use a woman's touch _

_Oh, you were waiting for me? Oh gosh, you make me blush! _

_Let the show begin!_

_1,2,3 and 4 _

_I got a sense of humour and a flower crown _

_And then 5,6,7,8 _

_Give me a chance and I can turn things around _

_And I'll take it from here so don't you have any fear_

_Your brand new supporting lady is here! _

_I'm the hand to your glove _

_Headlining act to your love _

_The little gift Mother Nature sent from beyond _

_(Chorus) THE SHOW goes all night _

_Flowers bloom so bright _

_I'm your new gem brought to life, we go just like ying and yang_

_I JUST LOVE to dance_

_GIVE ME just one chance _

_Cause you know it's time for them to meet the Doll of The Gang _

_(Ah-ha)…..the Doll of The Gang (x2)_

_I sing and people listen to a song that sounds so sweet_

_I dance my feet like water, in time with your heartbeat _

_How can something so simple be so exciting? _

_Let the show begin! _

_1,2,3,4 _

_I'll bring the sunshine to the skies so grey _

_And then 5,6,7,8! _

_Just like that, I can brighten your day _

_And I'll take from here so don't you have any fear _

_Your brand new supporting lady is here! _

_I'm the hand to your glove _

_Headlining act to your love _

_The little gift Mother Nature sent from beyond _

_(Chorus)_

_(Ah-ha)…..the Doll of The Gang (x2)_

_Darling, my future is bright now_

_They will see, oh just wait _

_I was made to bring joy to you! _

_It's so much fun in the light!_

_(Chorus)_

_(Ah-ha)…..the Doll of The Gang (x2)_

* * *

Donning the additional headphones, Allison entered the recording space with Lucy. "Hi, you must be Lucy Myles. I'm Allison Pendle. I voice Alice" she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Pendle" Lucy replied.

"Oh please, you can call me Allison. We'll be working together a lot" Allison stated. She noted right away how sweet and adorable the younger woman was.

No wonder Wally was smitten.

_'Susie is going to give this poor girl hell' _Allison thought.

Lucy enjoyed every second she read lines with Allison. The experienced voice actress, who was only 6 years or so older than her, came across as friendly and sister-like. Tomorrow, she was scheduled to do a recording session with Susie. She was already looking forward to it.

After the recording session, Allison gave Lucy a tour of the studio building - introducing her to every employee they met with along the way.

* * *

"Top of the mornin' to ya, Allison. What can I do for ya?" Shawn Flynn greeted with his trademark mischievous grin as the two voice actresses entered his workshop in the toy production department.

Shawn had light brown hair that was messy underneath a black newsboy cap. He wore a white shirt with black braces and trousers. There were splotches of paint on his hands and face. There was also a paintbrush tucked behind his ear. He seemed to be in his twenties, like she and Wally were. Unlike Wally, he had a bit of stubble. (A/N: I sort of headcanon Shawn to look a lot like Jacksepticeye - because he voiced Shawn for the game. Also, think of Mythicaliity's Shawn Flynn cosplay on Tiktok for how Shawn might look like)

"It's the afternoon, Shawn" Allison reminded the toy painter.

"Well, it's mornin' somewhere" Shawn countered cheekily.

"That's true. Anyway, this is Lucy. She's the new voice actress for Doll. Lucy, this is Shawn. He makes the toys of the characters" Allison replied.

"Nice to meet ya, Lucy!" Shawn greeted, shaking Lucy's hand.

"Likewise" Lucy replied, smiling at how cheerful and energetic Shawn sounded.

"Oh, by the way, I've got somethin' you both should see" Shawn realised as he looked through the many shelves of toys in his workshop for his new creation. He soon found what he was looking for and brought it over to Lucy and Allison.

The toy was a female toon with long white hair. She wore a black dress with a diamond patterned neckerchief. She was barefooted, like Boris. She had the signature eyes that Bendy, Boris and Alice had. On her head was a delicately woven flower crown and she was holding a small bouquet of flowers. A lovely smile was carefully stitched onto her face.

"Oh, she's lovely" Lucy gasped as Shawn handed the character to her so she could have a better look.

"Yep, that's your character, Doll. I'm really proud of how she came out" Shawn agreed. After all, he felt in his gut that Doll would do better than Alice. Not a single Alice toy had sold; no one really related to Alice as they probably would to Doll. So he had put a lot more care in making her. Allison and Susie both had an Alice toy each but that was it. "Tell ya what, you can have this one" he offered.

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, she's a new toon and you're new here so it makes sense. I can always make more" Shawn replied.

"Thank you, Shawn" Lucy stated.

"Just watch out for his pranks, Lucy. Shawn's a prank-master" Allison advised.

"Me, a prank-master?! Come on! My pranks are nothin' compared to Wally's! He's the king of pranks! Oh, that reminds me, have ya met Wally yet?" Shawn countered.

"I have…he made me laugh" Lucy replied, her features became soft and wistful as she thought of the funny, charming handyman she had met earlier that day.

"I knew it..other than me, he's the funniest lad here. He's also my best friend" Shawn remarked.

* * *

Later on, Allison was showing Lucy around the animation offices when they ran into a certain someone fixing the pipeline. A certain someone Lucy hadn't been able to stop thinking about.

"Wally Franks, the pipes will burst if you screw that safety bolt in any tighter. You know what Thomas has told you" Allison firmly reminded Wally.

"Alright! Jeez, Allison. I ain't that daft" Wally remarked as he climbed down the ladder he had been standing on to reach the pipeline; Allison had a habit of mothering him a lot.

Although she tried not to laugh at this endearing exchange, Lucy couldn't help herself.

The sound of Lucy's laugh got Wally's attention; a wide grin spread across his face - he knew that laugh from anywhere. "Oh hey, Luce. Nice to see ya again" he greeted.

"Hello again, Wally" Lucy replied.

"How's ya day going so far?" Wally asked.

"Great, thank you. Allison's been showing me around" Lucy answered.

"I can see that. I should've known Allison would take ya under her wing. Get it?" Wally remarked. Lucy laughed again, much to his delight. "Ya like that one? I got another one.." He stated, proceeding to tell another joke.

Allison smiled thoughtfully to herself as she watched Wally share one of his best jokes with Lucy (he always saved his best jokes for the people he liked), it was obvious to her that Lucy was also smitten with Wally. After all, the spark she saw between the two of them was undeniable. '_They'd make such a sweet couple. I've never seen Wally like this before. I always knew he'd find that special someone one day.' _she thought. She cleared her throat. "So I take it you two are getting on pretty well" She guessed.

"Yeah, I was a little nervous about today but Wally cheered me up" Lucy explained.

"Yep, laughter's the best cure for a long face. Unless ya a horse!" Wally agreed.

Lucy laughed even more, flushing a light pink from laughing so hard at Wally's joke. She couldn't help it; he was just too funny.

Allison shook her head in amusement. There was definitely something there; even a blind man could see those two liked each other. "Ease up on the jokes, Wally. Give Lucy a chance to recover" she remarked.

"Alright, alright. I'll rein it in" Wally replied.

Lucy laughed even harder.

"What did I just tell you?" Allison sighed. Trust Wally to make one last joke.

"It's ok, Allison. I don't mind. After all, cartoons are supposed to make people laugh. If we don't have a sense of humour, then we'd be pretty lousy at our job" Lucy stated, having gone red from laughing so much.

"That's what I always say! Finally, someone agrees with me!" Wally exclaimed.

Allison gained a thoughtful expression once more. She knew how hard Sammy was with new talent, putting Susie on a pedestal while dismissing anyone who was actually better than the alto. Joey wasn't exactly nice to all his employees either. Someone like Lucy just wouldn't endure if Wally wasn't there to cheer her up or make her laugh. So she thanked her lucky stars that Wally and Lucy were getting on. She mentally vowed to do her best to look out for Lucy should Susie decided to make the poor girl's life hell. She knew that Thomas would look out for her too.

* * *

So that was chapter 2. I own nothing but my ocs and the story. See you in the next one!


	3. Recording Day & Susie's harsh words

Susie walked along the hallway, already in a foul mood. She was a rather tall woman with long, dark hair that tumbled in messy waves down her left shoulder. The heavy makeup she wore didn't hide her ageing features all too well; it did nothing for her dark steel grey eyes. The dark blue velvet dress and black headdress she wore looked far too young for her but Susie didn't care. It seemed appropriate to her since she was on the brink of losing her job and more importantly, her spotlight.

_"How dare Allison weasel her way in here and try to take the role I was made for! And how dare this 'Lucy' take away my second chance!" _Susie ranted to herself.

Susie despised Joey Drew for even considering the thought of replacing her with a younger woman. Her, the Great Susie Campbell! She despised Allison for being hired to replace her. It just wasn't fair; it had taken her far too long to get the leading role she always thought she deserved! Doll could've been her second chance of being a star but Joey told her she was too old for the role, instead he gave the role to a nobody. Oh, how she despised the new girl for that!

The only one who wanted the ageing voice actress around still was Sammy Lawrence.

Susie felt better thinking about Sammy. He was the only one who still put her on a pedestal, where she thought she belonged. At least he would never turn against her.

And if she were real (in Susie's mind, she and 'Alice' were one and the same), 'Alice' would have demanded that Susie stayed. The spotlight was hers and hers alone. She wasn't going to share it with anyone else. Not with Allison and definitely not with the newbie.

Even an old bat like Gladys knew that!

* * *

Thomas knew something was going on. Good or bad, he didn't know. Something in the air just felt uneasy; it had become a regular occurrence since Joey Drew had gotten sick. He suspected that Sammy and Susie weren't exactly emotionally stable either but never really gave it any more thought. It wasn't his business and, frankly, he didn't care what they did.

Since yesterday, Wally had been a little more scatterbrained than usual. Thomas did parent the boy quite a lot whenever they worked together, after all; he knew him better than anyone he worked with. He suspected it had something to do with the new girl, Lucy.

Thomas had met Lucy earlier on this morning; she was a sweet kid - just like Allison had been when she first started working for Joey Drew Studios. Now she acted like an elder sister to some of the younger employees.

With someone as cynical and vain as Susie ready to psychologically damage the poor girl, having the right people as your friends was important.

Thomas knew Allison would argue with Susie even more if it meant standing up for Lucy when it seemed to him that the younger woman couldn't; it was in her nature to stand up to things that she thought was wrong or unfair.

Wally's sense of humour would also come in handy; Allison had mentioned that Wally and Lucy were already getting on well. It was likely because they were both in their twenties, Thomas had theorised. Not many of Joey's employees were that young.

_'You should've seen the way they looked at each other, Tom. They definitely belong together. I've never seen Wally like this before.' _Allison had said earlier.

Thomas thought it was too soon for Allison to assume that something like that was there. However, it was the only plausible explanation for how strange Wally had been acting lately.

* * *

Lucy couldn't help but feel giddy as she entered the recording booth. She was meant to record her lines for Doll's debut episode, which would be aired at the end of the week. She gave a friendly wave to the orchestra band on the band stage as well as to Norman Polk, who was in the Projectionist's booth overlooking the recording booth and the stage.

Some of the band members had waved back at Lucy. Above the band stage was a large white projector screen.

Norman seemed to be in his mid-40's. He was African-American. He wore black braces, black trousers, a blue shirt and black shoes. He seemed wise and friendly enough, acknowledging Lucy's friendly gesture before loading the reel into the projector. With him stood Allison, Joey Drew and a dark-haired woman.

Allison had a big smile on her face. _'You're gonna do great, Lucy'_ her expression seemed to encourage Lucy.

Lucy could only assume that the dark-haired woman was none other than Susie Campbell herself. While Allison had waved back, Susie didn't return the gesture at all. She just stared at Lucy, as if she was analysing her or something. But there was something bad about the look in her eyes. She and Allison didn't get on, after all.

Although she hid it well with a serious expression, Susie was beyond furious the minute she laid eyes on Lucy; she had hoped that the young voice actress wasn't as pretty as she had been 20 years ago. But Lucy's beauty was obvious, matching her sweet and lovely personality. And from what she had heard from the other employees, the young woman was also quite talented. If any of Susie's fans knew this, then Susie wouldn't be so beloved anymore.

Susie decided she was going to make Lucy's time at Joey Drew Studios hell. She was not losing her limelight to anyone else! How dare Joey hire someone much prettier than her!

Allison shot a glare at Susie, knowing that her concern regarding how Susie would treat Lucy if she met the young voice actress was right.

_'Oh dear. Does that mean Susie might not like me? She always seemed so nice..I guess that's why they always say you should never meet your idols' _Lucy wondered as she noticed that Susie didn't seem too fond of her. She had hoped Susie would be as nice as she acted when she voiced Alice; guess she was wrong.

Joey Drew looked much older than Lucy thought he would be. He was dressed well, sure, but he leaned on the cane in his left hand for support. The studio owner didn't look like he had been in good health recently - he didn't look like someone who owned a company that made people laugh either. In fact, he didn't look like he even knew what a sense of humour was. His expression was serious and sullen as he looked Lucy up and down.

Lucy felt her nerves return; she couldn't afford to mess up just now. Suddenly, the rumours she had heard about Joey seemed true.

Glancing over to the far end of the recording room, Lucy was relieved to see Wally standing in the doorway. No one else seemed to notice that he was there, instead of working. Only she knew; she couldn't help but smile again. Even from a distance, Lucy could see his smile as he gave a slight wave. That smile of his was enough to encourage her once more.

_'I can do this'_ Lucy thought to herself as the reel started playing. The band sprung to life. Feeling her previous excitement return, Lucy immediately began what she had been hired to do; provide Doll's voice.

Everyone's expressions said it all. Norman looked mildly impressed. Allison had her usual warm smile. Susie was absolutely seething with fury. Wally was leaning on the door frame with that same smile. Joey was the only one who didn't react at all.

* * *

After several run throughs, recording was finally finished for the day. Joey had retreated to his office.

While Allison was running through her lines and Norman was taking the reels to the distributing department, Lucy attempted to introduce herself to Susie. She was hoping that if she could talk to Susie, it would resolve any issues the older voice actress would have.

Susie glared at the younger blond. "Don't think I'm not onto you. I worked too damn hard to become the star I deserve to be and I'm not letting a little nobody like you steal my spotlight!" she snapped. A little voice in her head niggled at her subconscious, telling her to keep up with the harsh attitude; it refused to let her admit to her jealousy.

Lucy was confused by this. "Miss Campbell, I don't understand.." She tried to explain.

"You dare to interrupt?! You're stupid as well as untalented! Your little 'innocent' act isn't fooling anyone! You don't deserve to be here!" Susie barked, storming off before Lucy could say any more.

In shock of what had just transpired, Lucy slumped onto her knees. She had never done anything to wrong Susie, she was sure of it. Why would she think such a thing? She never thought Susie could be so harsh in person. As she tried to process what she had just experienced, stray tears ran down her cheeks.

* * *

It wasn't long until someone found Lucy in that state; it just happened to be Wally. "Whoa, I almost didn't see ya there, Luce" he remarked. Crouching down to help her up, he noticed that she had been crying. "Lucy? Did something happen?" He asked.

Slightly startled by the question, Lucy wiped at the stray tears. "Oh, Wally. You surprised me" she gasped. It was somewhat a relief it had been Wally who showed up. She took a breath and told him what happened.

Although Wally knew what Susie was like, it still annoyed him that Susie would make someone as lovely as Lucy cry; all because the older woman was jealous of the young and beautiful Lucy. "Look, don't let what Susie says get to ya. She's always been like that. I've never once seen her laugh or smile. Personally, I think ya did amazin' in there. Allison will tell ya the same thing" he assured her as he helped her up.

Lucy felt a slight smile tug at her lips. "Thank you, Wally. You didn't have to cheer me up" she replied.

Wally rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm always happy to help" he remarked. He decided to tell one of his classic jokes to Lucy; he just had to make her laugh again. "Hey, what'd you call a bread roll with a bad temper? A hot cross bun" he added.

Lucy started laughing. "That was a good one!" She cried, any trace of sadness and doubt was gone.

Wally's usual grin softened; he was relieved that he could at least do something to cheer Lucy up. If that was all he could do for her when someone made her insecure about her talent like Susie had, he would gladly do so.

Although she had stopped laughing, Lucy still smiled up at Wally.


	4. Doll's Debut

Doll took soft steps as she wandered along a field of flowers, her long white hair dancing in the gentle breeze that played softly on the skirt of her black dress. What kept her hair from being tousled completely by the breeze was the intricately woven flower crown on her head - she had worn it since her creation. She never thought she'd see such wonderful places outside the Garden she had lived her entire life within.

"I wonder what adventures await me" Doll asked herself. As she walked, a path of vibrant flowers emerged behind her. Due to her abilities as a flower maiden, she could make flowers bloom almost immediately. Whenever she felt excited or joyful, her happiness would burst in the form of flowers.

As she felt the fatigue from her long journey set in, Doll sat against a large oak tree. Sunlight peeked through the gaps between the leaves adorning the tree. She sang softly to herself as she carefully looked over the small handful of flowers she had gathered along the way.

* * *

Boris The Wolf had been tending to his sheep in the flower field when he heard singing; it was faint but he could hear it clearly due to his sensitive hearing. It certainly wasn't Alice, he knew for sure. He'd grown so accustomed to the horned angel's voice, it had lost its initial charm from when he and Bendy first met her. Especially since she constantly fought with Bendy, her tone became venomous when she and Bendy were near each other.

This voice sounded young and sweet; its soft, gentle melody put Boris' sheep at ease. He couldn't describe it. So he went to find out who the voice belonged to. His flock of sheep followed him; they also wanted to know whose voice was putting them at ease.

Upon investigating, Boris found out that it was Doll who was singing. The usually cowardly, sheepish wolf had never seen anything so pure or beautiful in his life. She looked like she was made of the most delicate porcelain. He wanted to protect her. Especially from those like the dreaded Butcher Gang. He was a wolf after all; wolves were supposed to protect those dearest to them.

So Boris watched from behind another oak tree, listening to the flower maiden's beautiful song. 'How could such a lovely creature exist?' He thought.

If Bendy were here, he would tease Boris about this. Thankfully, the little devil he called his friend was somewhere else, pranking some other poor unfortunate soul.

Who knew where Alice was? Probably trying to capture Bendy or something.

* * *

Feeling someone's eyes on her, Doll stopped in mid-song to glance around her. Only to lock eyes with Boris. Her mind went blank; she wasn't used to seeing anyone look at her in the unfamiliar way Boris looked at her. She'd let go of the flowers in her hand out of surprise. "Oh dear…I hope I wasn't disturbing you" she apologised.

Boris almost leapt back in surprise, due to being caught staring. Since it was too late to leave, he walked over until he was practically standing over Doll. "No, it's alright. It's just that I've never seen you around here before. I'm Boris" he introduced himself, extending a hand towards Doll.

Doll couldn't help but smile up at the gentle wolf. "It's lovely to meet you, Boris. My name is Doll" she replied as she reached up to shake Boris' hand. Only to be surprised when he gently pulled her to her feet.

Boris didn't know what he was thinking when he'd pulled Doll to her feet. Maybe he wanted a better look at his new friend. She was shorter than him, he'd noticed. She seemed so small and fragile. Like she could shatter into pieces if Boris wasn't as gentle as he always was. Her eyes were bright and innocent. Whoever had created her must've taken delicate care. He saw that she was barefooted, like he was. Just what on Earth was she? He didn't notice that he was still holding her hand.

Doll found that she couldn't look away from the way Boris was looking at her. His warm, kind eyes drew her in. Although he was tall in stature and seemed physically strong, he was actually very gentle. As if he was trying not to shatter her. The gentle grip he had of her hand felt safe. She had never felt anything like this before. 'What is this feeling?' she wondered.

* * *

Bendy grinned widely as he teleported to the flower field from his endeavour in town. He chuckled to himself; that had to be one of his best pranks yet. Mortals were so easy to fool. He turned to tell Boris all about it. Only to be perplexed when he noticed Doll. He cleared his throat. Loudly.

Boris and Doll both leapt in surprise to see Bendy standing beside them, making Boris suddenly let go of Doll's hand.

"Bendy, please stop doing that" Boris pleaded. No matter how many times the little devil did that, it still scared the poor wolf.

"Ah, come on, Boris. It was funny. Maybe if you weren't so distracted, you'd have heard me arrive" Bendy teased his flustered friend. He turned his attention to Doll; he had to look up at her since she was slightly taller than him - he was already used to it anyway. "Well, well. I didn't think someone lived 'round here" he remarked.

Doll blinked at the little demon. "Oh, I don't, actually. I was just resting" she explained.

"Don't worry 'bout it. I was just joking. It's always nice to make a new pal! The name's Bendy, Bendy the Dancing Demon" Bendy introduced himself, holding out a hand.

"Oh, I'm Doll" Doll replied as she shook Bendy's hand.

"Doll the what?" Bendy asked.

"Doll the Flower Maiden" Doll answered.

"What's a flower maiden?" Boris wondered.

"I can make flowers grow and bloom, I guess" Doll stated.

Bendy had noticed something as he watched Doll and Boris. He could be wrong but there was something about the way they interacted; he'd never seen Boris look at anyone the way he looked at Doll.

Alice would likely know what it was but Bendy would rather not ask her. He then looked at Boris' sheep. Usually they were a little skittish around Bendy but now they seemed peaceful. Did Doll do that? Storing the thought for later, he decided to join in the conversation. "So, where're you from?" He asked Doll.

"Somewhere far away. But I wasn't completely happy there" Doll answered. Although she'd lived in that garden her whole life, she'd often wondered about the world outside.

"Oh, so you're a misfit? That's great, so are me and Boris!" Bendy remarked with a grin. He grimaced when he remembered Alice. "So's Alice, although she never wants to admit it" he added.

"Alice?" Doll questioned.

"She's around here somewhere, you'll meet her pretty soon. She and Bendy don't get on.." Boris stated.

"Boris, don't jinx it!" Bendy groaned. The last thing he wanted was for Alice to show up and start another argument with him. One of these days, he would let slip a life-changing secret about Alice only he and his father knew - a secret he knew Alice would not want to accept.

Doll let out a slight giggle; it seemed to her that Boris and Bendy obviously shared a close friendship. The two of them were very different but she guessed that they had some common ground - possibly they were trying to find their own place in the world, just as she was.

Both Bendy and Boris had heard Doll's giggle. Whereas Bendy was relieved that the sweet little flower maiden had a sense of humour after all, it struck Boris much differently; now he was even more sure about wanting to protect this innocent creature.

Thus started the best day of Doll's life; first being allowed to leave the Garden of Nirvana. Now she had met and made some new friends.


End file.
